Brad Parscale, the campaign manager for President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign, compared the campaign to the Death Star, a fictional superweapon from Star Wars designed to blow up entire planets, on Thursday.
A number of people on Twitter were left wondering how anyone could possibly think that particular analogy in context of electoral politics was a good one.
“For nearly three years we have been building a juggernaut campaign (Death Star),” Parscale tweeted. “It is firing on all cylinders. Data, Digital, TV, Political, Surrogates, Coalitions, etc.”
“In a few days we start pressing FIRE for the first time,” he added with a GIF of the Death Star firing at an unsuspecting planet.
For nearly three years we have been building a juggernaut campaign (Death Star). It is firing on all cylinders. Data, Digital, TV, Political, Surrogates, Coalitions, etc.
In a few days we start pressing FIRE for the first time. pic.twitter.com/aJgCNfx1m0
— Brad Parscale – Download our Trump 2020 App today! (@parscale) May 7, 2020
People pointed out that hyping a campaign with comparisons to a WMD wielded by a tyrannical regime to kill millions of people en masse isn’t exactly smart politics, especially considering the fact that the weapon and regime both ultimately get destroyed by rebels fighting for a return to democracy.
And in the middle of a global pandemic that’s killed more than 75,000 Americans so far, it’s not exactly the best timing for the message.
Dude, the Death Star gets blown up at the end of every Star Wars movie. Why don’t you just brag about the Great Pumpkin rising from the pumpkin patch at the end of the campaign? As much money as you’ve grifted off of Trump, spend a few dollars streaming some movies. https://t.co/ZWqT8dQBqw
— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) May 7, 2020
So you’re saying that your campaign has a fundamental design flaw creating a vulnerability which if targeted by the opposition could cause it to self-implode?
Sounds genius. https://t.co/hmsJqzr5g3
— Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) May 7, 2020
Nicknaming your presidential reelection campaign "Death Star" in the middle of a pandemic that has already killed 70K+ people is an interesting choice https://t.co/2cxIxT70LD
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) May 7, 2020
What are the chances Trump realizes his campaign is packed with grifters before the Death Star explodes?
— Anita Creamer (@AnitaCreamer) May 7, 2020
Death Star is pretty apt given how many people in America have died during the Trump administration due to gun violence, opioid addiction and COVID-19. https://t.co/Yb3WZjscUL
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) May 7, 2020
Got a fun story for you about what happens to the Death Star https://t.co/vaqUgzq79y
— Rob Flaherty (@Rob_Flaherty) May 7, 2020
"First we'll commit mass murder, then we'll get destroyed" is actually a pretty good slogan for Trump 2020 … https://t.co/Vsebzw83En
— Josh Chafetz (@joshchafetz) May 7, 2020
We've got your Death Star right here, @parscale. https://t.co/iPwIcPSfNj pic.twitter.com/utHm9KT6qX
— Eric Swalwell (@ericswalwell) May 7, 2020
Well in the movie Darth Vader totally wins so this makes a lot of sense. Wait. https://t.co/7nz06NHXXp
— Molly Jong-Fast? (@MollyJongFast) May 7, 2020
Later, Parscale insisted that it was the media, not him, who referred to the campaign as the Death Star, even though the fact that that’s exactly what he did in the original tweet.
But no matter: Parscale cheerfully embraced it anyway.
“However, I am happy to use the analogy,” he tweeted. “The fact is, we haven’t used it yet.”
